It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Not Christmas, Halloween!

My favorite holiday on the calendar is Halloween! This year it's even better being back up in a climate that actually HAS AUTUMN!
The pumpkins above were carved by SmartyPants and i last year. She did the face and i did the other one. We are still trying to decide what we will do this year.
Here is a cute Halloween survey/meme:

YAY! HALLOWEEN!!!

Ghosts or Goblins?:
- Ghosts

Zombies or Vampires?:
- Vampires

Witches or Hags?:
- Witches

Werewolves or Frankenstein?:
- Big old hairy Werewolves

Black Cats or bats?:
- Cats

Trick or Treat?:
- TREAT!

Candy Corn or Candy Apples?:
- Apples

Pumpkins or Squash?:
- Pumpkin

Orange or Purple lights?:
- Purple, if i have any.

Toads or Spiders?:
- i can handle spiders better than toads.

Lanterns or Lit-Pumpkins?:
- i prefer carved lit pumpkins....AND lanterns! Why not both?

Skeletons or Mummies?:
- Skeletons

Morticia or Lily Munster?:
- That's a toughie. A little of both, maybe?

Do you like to dress up for Halloween?:
- i have and will dress up for Halloween depending on the situation. No matter what, though, i at LEAST do some sort of freaky or creepy makeup job. Last year i rimmed my eyes with bright red eyeshadow and red eyeliner and made the rest of my face pale. Nothing major, but something a little unnerving nonetheless. This year i took off from work to take the kids trick - or - treating and am considering dressing in SOMETHING.

What were you last year for Halloween?:
- See above

What are you going to be this year?:
- i'm not sure...still pondering.

Favorite costume you have ever worn?:
- i'm not too sure on this one, either. It's a toss up between a mad blood-spattered scientist toting my husband around in a straight jacket as my patient and the year i dressed as a hippie when i was in high school.

How do you spend your Halloween?:
- These days we take the kids out trick-or-treating. Then when we come home, they go to bed and we go through their candy for the real good stuff unsafe stuff and watch scary movies and stuff on tv. In recent years i've been watching the live episodes of Ghost Hunters on SciFi

Are you or are you not going trick or treating this year?:
- i'm TAKING the kids trick-or-treating....so kinda sorta

Did or do you pull Halloween pranks?:
- yeah, we used to go 'raiding. We threw uncooked hard corn kernels by the handful at people's windows and the cobs at their doors. Not quite sure when or how or WHY that started, but it was a tradition that took place the few weeks that led up to Halloween EVERY YEAR and the neighbors HATED it. We kids had a blast, though.

Do you believe in ghosts?
- Yes

Are you superstitious?:
- i am out of habit, not because i believe in superstitions.

Do you like caramel popcorn?:
- is the pope german?

Have you ever gone in the country to look for pumpkins?:
- Does the pumpkin patch at the nursery count?

Have you ever been on a hayride?:
- MANY many hayrides. i'm sure there are MANY more to come with the kids over the years.

Do you decorate your home for Halloween?:
- i LOVE to decorate for Halloween! i have to tone it down this year because i'm living with my mom, but she let me put these gel window stick ons of bloody handprints and blood spatters in the windows of my bedroom on the FRONT OF THE HOUSE! i also convinced her to let me put out some spider webs. i USED to have a foam tomb stone, but that got lost in the shuffle.

Have you ever been to a haunted house?:
- I have

Have you ever been to a graveyard on Halloween?:
- i think so...one time in college, i think.

Have you ever attended a Halloween party?:
- Several

Have you ever been to an amusement park's Halloween event?:
- There were probably some of THE best Halloween events at Universal Studios and Disney when we lived down in Florida....but do you know i never got to go to one in the seven years i lived there?

Do you watch scary movies on Halloween?:
- Oh yes...and for several weeks prior to Halloween, as well.

Have you ever had your candy stolen from you?:
- Yes! It was scary and it sucked. i was around 11 or 12 and someone ran up behind me and my friend. We were walking up the hill to our houses, our bags STUFFED after a night around town and all of the sudden i felt a sharp pain in my hand as the plastic candy bag handle dug into my skin. I pulled back hard as i could but the handle broke and the kid ran with the candy. A few of the neighborhood boys and one of the dads walked around the blocks for a little bit trying to find the kid but they never did.

Did you ever steal any ones candy?:
- No!

Has anyone ever gotten hurt due to your prank?:
- Nope it was always fairly innocent stuff

Have you ever dressed as a witch/warlock?:
- Somewhere along the lines i probably have....

Are your parents into Halloween?:
- My stepmom is a Halloween fanatic, but my mom and dad themselves aren't 'into' Halloween so to speak. My stepdad would rather we didn't even decorate to encourage trick-or-treaters.

What do you believe is the most common Halloween costume?:
- Ghost, maybe?

Who took an axe and gave her mother forty wacks?
- Lizzie Borden

Do you have a tradition for Halloween day?:
- Nothing other than the usual trick or treating

Do you know someone who was born on Halloween?:
- No

HAVE YOU EVER:

Passed out candy?:
- i used to.

Bobbed for apples?:
- Yes i have.

Gone to a pumpkin patch?:
- Yep

Hosted a Halloween Party?:
- i don't think so

Attended a Halloween Party?:
- Several

made pumpkin pie?:
- Nope, can't say that i have...maybe i should start this year

Raked leaves?:
- Unfortunately

Watched the Travel Channel with the Halloween specials?:
- You mean Most Haunted? Yeah, i've watched that. i flip back and forth between it and Ghost Hunters.

HAVE YOU SEEN:


Amityville Horror?:
- Yes

- House Of Wax?:
- Yes

- Tales From The Crypt?:
- My most favorite is Demon Knight! Billy Zane.....yummy!

- The Exorcist?:
- Yes

- Texas Chainsaw Massacre:
- i don't think so, now that you mention it

- Pumpkinhead?:
- Yes

- The Grudge?:
- i saw the first one

- The Sixth Sense?:
- Yes

- The Others?:
- Hmm...maybe

- All or any of the Nightmare On Elm Street?:
- Yeppers

- Practical Magic?:
- i don't think so

- Any or all of The Simpson's Halloween episodes?:
- Yes most, if not all

- The Munsters?:
- Yes

- The Addams Family?:
- Yes

- Elvira?:
- She makes me giggle. i love her.

-The Lost Boys?:
- Oh yes

-Hocus Pocus?:
- This is SmartyPants' ALL TIME FAVORITE HALLOWEEN MOVIE EVER!!! She'll watch it any time of the year, really, but for her Halloween just isn't Halloween without watching Hocus Pocus at LEAST 5 times!


There you have it. Some Halloween facts about me.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program already in progress.....

Twu Wuv

I recently came across this meme that others of you had done and needed something to post! So here it is! The Marriage Meme!

1. Where/How did you meet? We met in college. He was friends with my roommate. When my bf at the time broke up with me i was HEARTBROKEN and my roommate would drag me out and about with her to keep me from ending up in a sobbing heap on the dorm room floor. We would go hang out with a group, of which Wayne was a part of. We became good friends. There were times when he would make me go to dinner with him because he knew i hadn't eaten all day (still mourning the ex) Once, he even took me in his arms and held me as i cried. There was no interest other than friendship, but over the course of time we became closer and closer...and the rest is history.

2. How long have you known each other? almost 14 years

3. How long after you met did you start dating? i'd say it was probably 3 or 4 months

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? 3 years

5. How long was your engagement? i don't remember

6. How long have you been married? almost 11 years

7. What is your anniversary? January 25th

8. How many people came to your wedding reception: i dunno...it was very small...maybe...30?

9. What kind of cake did you serve? it was a lemon cake with cream cheese icing

10. Where was your wedding? The church where i had received every other sacrament in my life

11. What did you serve for your meal? We didn't have a meal, we had a buffet with smaller finger foods and such

12. How many people were in your bridal party? just the maid of honor and the best man

13. Are you still friends with them all? we have lost touch with the best man, but yes, we are still friends with him, should we ever find him again. My maid of honor was my sister, so yeah, we're still friends ;)

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? He definitely teared up

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? When we got to the back of the church afterwards and we had a few moments alone to hold one another and breathe a sigh of relief that it was over

16. Any funny moments? Not that i can recall

17. Any big disasters? No, everything we as planned

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We spent the night at a little bed and breakfast up the way from where we held the reception....that was it

19. How long were you gone? 1 night

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? i can't so i won't go there

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? If you’re laying on your back on the bed I’m on the left side...right now...this can change from month to month

22. What size is your bed? Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple? We never run out of things to talk about or do. We're never bored together.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Finances - one can handle them, one can't

25. Who literally pays the bills? At the moment we have certain bills that we each pay

26. What is your song? Well, i walked down the aisle to 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' from The Lion King, so that is pretty much 'our song' but there are many out there that remind me of Wayne and vice versa

27. What did you dance your first dance to? We didn't have dancing

28. Describe your wedding dress: Simple, cream colored ankle length slip dress covered by a cream ankle length lace 'jacket'

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? Roses and Stargazer Lilies

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? What do they say? We bought our rings separately, not showing them to the other until they were placed on our fingers. He had mine engraved 'To My Beloved, Eternally Yours, Wayne' - i had his engraved with the date and our initials...yeah, i felt small ;)

Ok, so, now those of you who have yet to do this one, TAG YOU'RE IT! You know who you are, so get to it! ;)

If it's TOO LOUD you're....

...TOO OLD?? i beg to differ. WiseGuy has this 'problem.' Certain noises send him into hysterics. They are generally loud noises, but not ALL loud noises will do it. We can't take him to parades because of the fire, police and ambulance sirens. When they pass by and sound their sirens he screams and cries uncontrollably as i stand there with him holding my hands tight to his ears while he presses against them to hold them on even tighter. So we don't take him. He likes to WATCH fireworks....NOW. It took us until this summer to get him to watch them on TV. He can't stand to be within a mile of them. He stills states that he HATES July 4th and wishes we could all celebrate quietly. So we don't take him to fireworks displays.
There is one particular noise that sets him off more than any other. The fire alarm at school. He has ALWAYS hated the fire drill. His first day of kindergarten they thought it would be a good idea to have a fire drill....his FIRST day of KINDERGARTEN! Ok, so, i can see a bit of logic in that...getting them used to it....but that's not how it worked for my WiseGuy. The noise terrified him and he screamed for over an hour. As the months wore on he continued to scream and cry when they had the fire drill, it just took less time for him to get over it once he realized they were outside, away from the noise and that soon the alarm would get turned off. Then Tornado Awareness week came along. The fire alarm sounds but you DON'T leave the buidling. You duck and cover in the midst of the noise. i had to go pick him up from school that day as he cried and screamed so much that he made himself throw up. He did the same thing the next day....and the day after that...and the day after that. He would cry randomly at home and talk about the fire drill with a terrified look on his face while i tried to reassure him that they weren't going to do it the next day...or the next or the next....but i knew, eventually, they would do a regular ol fire drill again and it would start again. It did. And the time after that and the time after that. Yeah....they had a LOT of fire drills. Eventually, we worked out that the teacher kept a pair of wax earplugs in her desk and when the bell sounds, she is to give those to him to put in his ears as the children line up and walk outside. We told him they were there....but he didn't need to use them the next time and calmed down quickly once they left the building.
They had a fire drill at his school last week. He cried outside for a half hour and REFUSED to go back into the school. They finally convinced him to go back inside but he still wouldn't go back into his room. After another half hour he was back in the room and sat with his fingers in his ears while they resumed the school work. The teacher called me. Turns out at his school they just redid the fire alarm system in the school and it IS quite loud and VERY piercing. Since they didn't want to TERRIFY these little primary schoolers, they make an announcement over the loud speaker telling the children it is a fire drill and to line up and exit the building slowly. They never sound the alarm. So WiseGuy was confused once they went back in and started their school work and had never heard the alarm. The teacher said he sat and looked around and asked 'Where's the fire drill??' The teacher told him they already had it. He wasn't really sure what to make of that.
He didn't talk TOO much about it. i was SURE it would be the topic of discussion the rest of the night, but he barely mentioned it.
i wasn't sure what to make of THAT.
i look things up online. i research some things. i see that there might be medical causes for some such behavior/reactions. i also see that the cures are few and far between and most say that over time he will be accustomed to the sounds he hears. He will learn to tune them out...or down...just by experiencing them time and again and again.
Can i tell you that it breaks my heart? When i'm standing there holding his ears as the fire trucks pass in a parade, there are tears in my eyes as well as his. It pains me that he can't enjoy something that should be so fun. It makes me sad that he and i sit inside on the 4th of July and New Year's Eve and we can't go out with the others to see the beautiful fire works.
i've had him to audiologist. They did a hearing test on him. Guess what the result was?? He has PERFECT HEARING! No kidding, chief, i already knew that. They ran a few other tests and they basically told me it's on the neurological level and how he is PERCEIVING the sound.
The neurologist was never able to get me in for an intake appointment before we left Florida.
Many family members think that it's all in his head. They say he doesn't react as strongly when i'm not around. Or sometimes not at all. But the incident at school with the fire drill is proof positive that he DOES react when i'm not around.
i guess i'm not sure what to do, to be honest. Seek out answers to the cause? Or just work with him for a solution that we can see already is working to some extent?
i've struggled with this for a while now and am no closer to coming to a resolution.

Sleeping....Ugly??

Well, my computer (actually internet connection) is finally fixed.

In the past few weeks, school has started, my sleep schedule is interrupted yet again. Horror of horrors! But you don't understand....i LOVE to sleep. No, really....i L-O-V-E my sleep! i've quite often made the statement

"If it were normal and socially acceptable to marry inanimate objects i would marry my bed so i could tell people i needed to go home and spend time with my husband!"

It was hard when i first started this job back in June. My shift is 6pm - 1am Monday through Friday. Sometimes i get home a little early, sometimes a little later. It took several weeks for my body to adjust to being up this late, but it helped that the kids were home from school. SmartyPants would get breakfast for both her and her brother and would keep him occupied and let me sleep in. Now, there is no more sleeping in.
Wayne is up and out the door by 6:30am to get to his job, which means i'm generally on my own with the kids in the morning. It's up as late as possible for me, which is usually 7:30. Get the kids fed, dressed and out the door by 8:30, not a real big deal. Get home around 8:45 and sit in front of the computer for a few minutes to check things without child interruption. Lay down and try to sleep some more. Get woken up by well meaning mother and other phone calls. Get up and eat. Take shower. Go pick up kids. Do homework. Finish getting ready for work. Go to work. Get home around 1 or 1:30am. Get to bed by 2am. Get up around 7:30 and do it all over again.
Another wrench gets thrown in the works on Monday when SmartyPants starts chorus practice before school from 7:45 - 8:30.

i miss my husband, err, uh, i mean bed!!!